Most of what makes a short let feel effortless to a guest is decided before they ever book: the paperwork, the kit in the cupboards, and a clear way in. Here's the order we'd tackle it in for a Glasgow flat.
1. Licence first
Every short-term let in Scotland needs a licence from the local council before you take bookings or receive guests. You can advertise while you wait, but you can't take a booking. The licence number, maximum occupancy and EPC rating then have to appear on every listing. In Glasgow you apply to Glasgow City Council.
Read our plain-English overview of short-term let licensing, which links to the official guidance.
2. Safety checks
The licensing conditions are mainly about safety, and most of them need doing before you apply. They include:
- a fire risk assessment, with interlinked smoke and heat alarms, and a carbon monoxide alarm where there's a fuel-burning appliance or flue
- an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, if there's gas
- an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) at least every five years, plus portable appliance testing
- a Legionella risk assessment (you can usually do this yourself, and keep a short record)
- buildings and public liability insurance that covers short-term letting
The safety information, certificates and emergency instructions must be available to guests inside the property. A folder or a framed notice by the door works well.
3. The essentials guests expect
Guests compare your place with your photos and your amenities list. Make sure everything you list is there, works, and is obvious:
- Kitchen: enough crockery, glasses and cutlery for your maximum occupancy plus a couple spare, a decent knife, pans with lids, a kettle, a toaster, a corkscrew and bottle opener, tea towels, and dishwasher tablets if there's a dishwasher
- Bathroom: hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, a hairdryer, a bath mat, and plenty of toilet roll
- Bedrooms: blackout blinds or lined curtains (Glasgow summer mornings are light early), hangers, a bedside light and socket for each side
- Living space: wifi with the password somewhere visible, a TV if you list one, and enough seating for everyone the flat sleeps
- Basics: an iron and board, a drying rack (Glasgow weather), a basic first aid kit, spare bulbs and batteries
4. Linen and towels
A common rule of thumb is three sets of linen per bed: one on the bed, one in the wash, and one spare for back-to-back bookings or a stain that won't shift. Two bath towels and a hand towel per guest is the usual standard, with a bath mat per bathroom. White is easiest to keep looking fresh and to match when you replace items.
If laundry is the part you dread, a linen service takes it off your hands entirely.
5. A house guide that covers Glasgow
Most guest messages are about getting in, getting parked and getting rid of rubbish. A short house guide answers them before they're asked:
- Getting in: which close door, which buzzer, the floor (Glasgow flats are often numbered by floor and position, like 2/1 for second floor, first flat), and what to do if the close door is stiff
- Parking: whether the street is in a controlled parking zone, where the nearest car park is, and how guests pay
- Bins and recycling: where the communal bins are (often in the back court), which goes where, and anything not to leave on the stair
- Neighbours: quiet hours, and a reminder that the close is a shared space
- Heating and hot water: how the boiler or storage heaters work, which matters in a Glasgow winter
- Emergencies: how to call for help, and where the safety information is kept
6. A first deep clean and photos
Before your first guest, and before you photograph the listing, book a deep clean: inside the oven and fridge, limescale off the taps and shower, skirtings, light fittings, and the tops of wardrobes. It sets the standard every turnover after it has to match, and your listing photos will show it.
7. Set up your turnover routine
Decide how changeovers will happen before the first booking lands, not after:
- who cleans, and who covers when they can't
- how they find out about bookings (a calendar feed is better than a text)
- a checklist for your property, so every clean is the same
- where linen, supplies and spare keys live
- how you'll know the flat is ready
Our turnover cleaning checklist is a good starting point, or ask us for a quote and we'll set it up with you.
This guide is general information for hosts, not legal advice. Check your own obligations with Glasgow City Council and the official licensing guidance.